Certified Environmental Liabilities Professional, Level I
Advance your career with the ASTM Environmental Liabilities Professional Certification. This certification is designed for professionals providing estimation, valuation, auditing and attestation to one or more portfolios of environmental liabilities.
Demonstrate your commitment to delivering a high-quality and reliable analysis of portfolios of environmental liabilities common to a corporation or governmental agency with significant land holdings. The Level 1 Environmental Liabilities Certification will test your knowledge of how to properly identify, value, characterize, and explain environmental liabilities.
To register for a program, visit the Certemy website to create an account and get started.
Program Fee
The fee is $450, which only covers the the written exam. The training course is a separate fee and must be taken in advance of taking the examination.
Audience
This certification is for professionals providing estimation, valuation, auditing and attestation to one or more portfolios of environmental liabilities (asset retirement obligations, environmental obligations, commitments, contingencies and guarantees), including but not limited to:
- corporate officers performing financial reporting or due diligence responsibilities
- due diligence or purchase price accounting teams
- corporate or government agency remedial project teams
- legal and accounting teams
- investment banking and merger/acquisition/spinoff teams
- real estate teams acquiring, redeveloping or selling environmentally-impaired properties
- specialists providing support services to any of the above
Areas Covered
The examination covers essentials topics involved in environmental liability assessments, including:
- recognition and derecognition of environmental liabilities
- valuation of environmental liabilities
- disclosure of environmental liabilities
- disclosures related to climate change and emerging contaminants
- due diligence procedures for environmental liabilities
- environmental knowledge management
Certification Requirements
ASTM will grant certification only to those applicants who meet the following requirements:
- Certificate of Attendance at an ASTM Environmental Liabilities training course within one calendar year of attendance
- A passing grade on the ASTM written certification examination
The 90-minute written examination is closed-book and consists of approximately 100 questions. To pass the written examination, you must score at least 70% correct.
Eligibility Criteria
Education and Experience
- have a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an engineering or environmental (or related science) discipline and have two years relevant experience; or
- a practicing environmental attorney with a law degree from an accredited law school.
- Relevant experience means: provides support in the preparation, updating, and/or reporting of environmental liabilities and/or asset retirement obligations. He or she shall have a basic understanding of and experience with environmental remediation/corrective action lifecycle and/or asset decommissioning work, such as compliance obligations, toxic torts, natural resource damages, landfill closure, asbestos abatement, well plug and abandonment, underground storage tanks removals, and/or mine reclamation and the associated costs. Exposure to transactions with environmental liabilities, due diligence, purchase price allocation and/or spill response are adequate background experiences for his credential.
- Successful completion of ASTM Environmental Liabilities Training Course
Study Materials and Training
A convenient bundle of the standards is available for use in studying for the written exam. We also offer several related live plus on-demand, self-paced training options:
Recertification
Recertification is required every five years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Payment for the ASTM-CELP examination is made online by credit card at the time of application. Visa, Mastercard or American Express are accepted. Questions regarding group payment or other questions regarding the payment processes can be directed to credentialing@astm.org.
Approximately 14 days before the start of the testing window, we will send a notice of scheduling via our testing vendor, Questionmark, to the primary email address listed on approved exam applications for that testing window. Candidates must ensure in advance that their email address will accept emails from Questionmark.
The subject line of the email will be “An administrator created an account for you at 405560”, sent from 405560 (no-reply@questionmark.com). Check your inbox, spam, and junk mailboxes for this email. If you cannot locate, promptly contact credentialing@astm.org.
The “administrator created an account” email will provide a URL address and a username/password for you to access Questionmark’s online scheduling system. Once you log on, you will be asked to update your password. This will then be used to log into the platform in the future.
In the event a candidate cancels the scheduled examination or fails to report at the scheduled time, no fees will be refunded. Candidates whose application is still in active status will have the ability to test during the following testing window (if at least 24 hours notice is not provided, a rescheduling fee may apply, unless the cancellation is due to a documented medical emergency). ASTM may require documentation of the candidate’s reason for cancellation.
If for a reason beyond the candidate’s control, the candidate cannot test during the scheduled examination time, the examination may be rescheduled for another upcoming testing window, if at least 24 hours’ notice is provided and availability exists.
To reschedule an exam, please contact credentialing@astm.org as soon as possible before the close of the testing window.
Candidates not successful during their initial examination attempt will receive information about retesting. Currently, there is one free retest included.
Testing eligibility is valid for 12 months from the application submission date. Candidates who fail the examination may retest during the next testing window (if it is within the 12-month eligibility period). The retest may be scheduled after a minimum 30-day period has elapsed from the failed attempt. There is a limit of three retakes (four attempts total) in a 12-month span.
Retests beyond the first included can be scheduled by paying a retest fee of $250 USD. Once the 12-month eligibility period ends, a new application must be submitted with full payment. Testing attempts are limited to one attempt per testing window.
Be sure that the computer and the location where you intend to take the examination meet the requirements specified in your confirmation email BEFORE examination day. If they do not meet the requirements, you will not be able to complete the test and you will not receive a refund.
Prior to examination day complete the following steps. Additional instructions will be provided to applicants in their confirmation email.
- Install Google Chrome, the recommended browser for record and review remote proctored examinations
- Disable the pop-up blocker in the Chrome browser
- Ensure that you have the ability to download and install programs (Administrator Rights) on the computer you intend to take the examination on. You will be required to install a program upon connecting to a proctor — it is not available prior to Examination Day. Please note, most work-issued devices do not allow full administrative privileges for employees. Confirm your computer's administrative privileges with your IT department or use a non-work-issued device to take the exam.
- Confirm you have a hard surface (i.e., desk or table) available for testing.
- Ensure you have a functioning free standing or integrated webcam with microphone or independent microphone before the examination date. You will use this for the entire examination.
Using the links provided in the examination confirmation email, you should: confirm your computer meets the minimum requirements, perform a system readiness check, and test your internet connection speed.
If you do not successfully complete the testing and you experience technical difficulties during your examination, you may have to pay a rescheduling fee or you may not have the opportunity to test and your exam fee will not be refunded.
You are only allowed to have one monitor running during the examination. If you have more than one monitor being used, please disconnect the other monitor, and ensure it is turned around or completely covered so that the screen is not facing you upon connection to the proctor.
Confirm your username and password prior to your scheduled testing time.